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Riley Ashen and Cassandra Zazueta waited in left field on the main softball field at the Salinas Sports Complex, all smiles on Monday. The guest of honor, Monica Abbott, was soon to arrive.

When Abbott made her way to the field, there were plenty of hugs and smiles to go around.

For Ashen and Zazueta, it was a chance to meet one of the best athletes ever to hail from Monterey County. For Abbott, it was a chance to meet two recent high school graduates - and recipients of a scholarship she helped create. ...